Author: Steve Drummond

On campus, there’s that hum of excitement in the air as students find their way to classes, meet new roommates and scurry off to pep rallies and rush week. And along with the brisk chill in the evening air, a hint of the coming fall, comes the seasonal excitement of intercollegiate competition: Yes, it’s that time of year for the NPR College Podcast Challenge. Once again, students from campuses big and small will vie to win our $5,000 grand prize for the best college podcast in America. (And our $500 scholarship prize for finalists). Now in its sixth year, the…

Hey, seniors! There are a lot of you out there and the numbers are growing: The roughly 60 million Americans age 65 and older make up the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population. At this point in life you’ve clocked a lot of miles and gained some experience along the way. You’ve probably got some gray hair to show for it, and no doubt some stories to tell. Here at NPR, we’d like to hear those stories. And so this fall, we’re asking you to hit “record” and send them to us, in audio form. Stories of love, of family,…

A student’s personal narrative of what it’s like to earn a college degree while at the same time raising a child. A look back at the rich sounds and music of a New York City neighborhood, recorded by a recording artist in the 1950s. Feelings of loss and displacement among the lifelong residents of a Georgia town when their community became a popular vacation hot spot. These and other compelling stories, chosen from hundreds of entries we received this year, have been named the finalists in our fifth annual NPR College Podcast Challenge. In the coming days our judges will…